It is clear to any man or woman of honor, that America has fallen from the mortal pantheon of Great Nations. We have, as a people, dwindled into a selfish and self-seeking lot, whose primary focus vacillates between maintaining our grasp of pop-culture, and making sure our prodigious guts are filled. It was not always thus: There was a time when we embraced God; when we would reach out to our fellow man in charity; when we would help nations in distress.

Now, as we slide to socialism and communism, where the State enforces a 'charity of poverty', as opposed to the charity we could well afford from our excess and profit, it seems more and more each of us looks to what little we can personally get. What, we ask ourselves, can our country do for us? Not too long ago, John F Kennedy turned that question on its head, and challenged us to ask ourselves what we can do for our country,

The taking class has been filled with the ranks of those who have always been takers, but I increasingly observe that it appears the taking class seems to be filling, also, with otherwise honorable men and women. They seemingly fall into despair as the nation drifts ever-left, and they begin to wonder if they should accept the Soma -- the poison of government entitlement.

It is human to want to take the easy way out. The easy way can consist of telling the lie, taking the shortcut, accepting the handout, not being your very best at all times.

No. Do not succumb to this.

Rise above the base. Rise above the profane. Raise the bar to a new standard.

Serve as an example for others to follow. Demonstrate standards that are forgotten. Teach your children about excellence in their writings and readings, and to maintain a clarity of thought. Reject the banal and the tepid misinformation of so-called Mainstream Media. Stand with pride in every manner of your affairs. Dress well when attending church. Say your prayers of thanks every time you eat. Always act with ethics, no matter how you may be tempted to do otherwise.

Maintain your body with regular workouts. Maintain your mind by immersing yourself in only the finest and most wholesome, thought-provoking literature. Interest your children in great literature by speaking about it reverently and piquing their interest. Find like-minded people and share your thoughts and discoveries, that the reach of the ideas may be greater.

Read the original words of the Founding Fathers, so you can know what they intended this nation to be. Learn the Constitution and all the related documents produced at the time. Be able to refute the lies of a tyranny-favoring, lazy Administration.

Be moral at all times. Look to God for answers on your daily choices. Pray every morning that He might guide you, and help you to stop looking to selfish and self-seeking follies, and instead to be a servant that can help us restore the standards of Godly and righteous behavior we have long-ago abandoned.

Be pillars. Be the best you can be. Be an example for others to look to in awe, and perhaps to decide to emulate.

Unquestionably, it is uplifting to read a piece like this. I CHALLENGE YOU TO DO MORE THAN READ. Using this editorial as a checklist, make a list of concrete actions you will take in the next day, the next week, the next month. Write them down, and then perform the actions. Intentions are nothing. Deeds matter.

My sister observed about her eldest son, a 26 year old who’s still working part time as a barista at Starbucks while he “takes meetings” with potential investors in his silly, shallow movie script, that he spent 3 years in California, living with a bunch of friends who “see nothing wrong with going on unemployment”.

We are in desperate need of people who meet the criteria Laz describes. I wonder how to go about motivating bright but lazy minds to actually READ the foundational documents of faith and nation. Steve Curtis Chapman described it a decade or more ago as “playing Gameboy [while] sittin’ in the middle of the Grand Canyon”. CS Lewis talked about a little boy sitting making mud pies in a slum because he can’t imagine what is meant by a holiday at the shore.

There must be a way. I pledge to seek it and share my suggestions here on FR - they may not be much, but perhaps they’ll spark a mind brighter than mine.

“Lord, heal our land.” My regards and my respect, gentlemen.

jagusafr

21
posted on 01/06/2013 3:15:10 PM PST
by jagusafr
(the American Trinity (Liberty, In G0D We Trust, E Pluribus Unum))

No it's not. It's animal-like. Humans aspire to better things. That said, your piece is spot on, because I don't think the takers/looters are human. They lack a lot of other human characteristics as well, such as compassion and conscience.

23
posted on 01/06/2013 3:15:40 PM PST
by Cyber Liberty
(Obama considers the Third World morally superior to the United States.)

Great post Laz. I regularly pray that the Lord would have mercy on America and remove the evil that He has so rightly afflicted us with in the person of Obama and his minions, and replace them with His called out holy ones to serve our nation.

I would like to ask a fundamental question: Does the state exist to serve the people, or do people exist to serve the state? When I read JFK's statement, which so many people believe is brilliant, it is telling me that I exist for the purpose of serving and sacrificing for the state. It is a very socialistic or progressive view of the relationship between those are governed and those that govern. It seems to me that our Founding Fathers would be confused by JFK's statement. After all, the American Revolution was fought in an effort to free the individual from serving the monarchy or state. When did we Americans start deifying America as the Romans did about the Roman Republic or Roman Empire? America, with all its many blessings, is not a deity demanding to be worshiped. I don't owe the government anything, but the government exists to protect my God-given rights. I don't ask what my country can do for me, nor what I can do for my country.

I would like to ask a fundamental question: Does the state exist to serve the people, or do people exist to serve the state? When I read JFK's statement, which so many people believe is brilliant, it is telling me that I exist for the purpose of serving and sacrificing for the state. It is a very socialistic or progressive view of the relationship between those are governed and those that govern. It seems to me that our Founding Fathers would be confused by JFK's statement. After all, the American Revolution was fought in an effort to free the individual from serving the monarchy or state. When did we Americans start deifying America as the Romans did about the Roman Republic or Roman Empire? America, with all its many blessings, is not a deity demanding to be worshiped. I don't owe the government anything, but the government exists to protect my God-given rights. I don't ask what my country can do for me, nor what I can do for my country.

Not surprisingly, we're on the same page mentally. I've been thinking about this lately. How do we overcome the despair? How do we reach those who reject conservatism on its face? Living by example is a good start, but most of the people I know and interact with are successful, conservative, good-hearted people. How do I show others outside of my circle that conservative values results in personal success? I've decided to reach out. I'm trying to generate some ideas. Maybe hand out grocery store gift cards, pocket Constitutions, and Mark Levin's Liberty & Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto to a few people leaving the unemployment or welfare offices. Maybe write anonymous letters explaining how conservative values helped me and leave them on the doors of a few houses in urban, democratic precincts. Maybe befriend a single mom who needs a little help. I don't know ... I think it has to be through personal relationships that conservative reach people. Handing out goodies is what the Dems do. We can't hand out entitlements and amnesty. So how do we reach them? Just thinking out loud.

47
posted on 01/06/2013 5:43:43 PM PST
by BuckeyeTexan
(There are those that break and bend. I'm the other kind.)

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